Luis Enrique admitted his Barcelona team lacked energy as they laboured to a 1-0 victory over La Liga's bottom side Granada.
Rafinha scored the only goal of a lacklustre contest at the Nou Camp on Saturday as Barca were stifled by their stubborn visitors.
Enrique said in El Pais: "It was not a brilliant game but it was a game that was normal against a team that plays in a very tidy way.
"In this kind of match you need a freshness that we lacked at times. We were caught offside several times and that is due to lack of timing.
"We struggled more than usual but we continued to strengthen the team's plans."
The victory was enough to lift Barca up to second in the table, two points behind leaders Real Madrid.
Enrique, whose side face Manchester City in the Champions League this week, added: "We are near the top but we are behind. There are still almost all the clashes between the teams fighting for the title to come but I think we are headed in the right direction."
Sevilla vs Barcelona
November 6, 2016, 7:30pm
Live on